Like so many other Darkhoundkin before her, she dived into the kill, tearing at the throat, ripping chunks out of the struggling and dying old man. His eyeless gaze watched her silently. No hesitation in the Kill. Good; the Darkhounds had made her theirs by full. Some kin who were brought to Shayol Ghul still had vestiges of their humanity and were, because of it, useless.
She turned and growled at him, defending her kill, her meal. With one large stride he was beside her, his arm raised and came down in a vicious backhand slap, sending her flying from the still dying man. She sprawled across the length of the room, and came up as if to attack again, but his sword flew from its sheath, and two more strides latter he was across the room, his sword at her bare throat.
The Thakan'dar blade nicked her throat. Darkhoundkin, he had found, were resistant to the Taint on his blade, but most did not know that. Most never discovered the fact - most didnt even realize he carried one of the most deadly blades ever forged at Thakan'dar.
His other hand gripped her tangled and dirty hair, pulling her head back more despite her vicious growl. Her darkhound would probably be reacting soon, but dominace of that one would come in a second. She needed to be taught her place, who was faster, stronger, and more able to kill.
"Serve" he hissed, voice like dead leaves rustling across each other in a moonless night. He pressed the blade closser, cutting deeper into her jugular. Weak from not having eaten in days he easily over powered her struggles - even if she had been at full strength she could not have hoped to over power him. "Obey" the next word came from his lips, his gaze pouring into her eyes.
"Or die"
"Serve. Obey. Or die." The myrdraal's sword was at her throat. She felt it pierce her skin and she growled at him, every muscle in her small body tensed. She didn't struggle, lest he actually kill her.
Kill, her mind cried out to Daghain. She could hear him whining and growling just outside the door, and his thoughts carried agreement back to her. Guards stood at all the doors, however, and so Daghain paced, watching for a sign of weakness that would tell him which way to move.
"Serve and obey," she whispered, hardly daring to move her jaw enough to speak. "I will serve and obey."
Her fingers squeezed imperceptibly tighter around her knife, still buried in her victim's throat, and she thought she could see the tip of the other knife from the corner of her eye. She did not risk looking down at it, though, not while that eyeless monster was staring at her and might notice the movement of her eyes. No, he must believe that she would serve and obey. Obey whom, though? Him?
Hurry, she urged Daghain. Kill!
"Serve and obey," she whispered, hardly daring to move her jaw enough to speak. "I will serve and obey." Calis could hear her Darkhound outside, pacing, whining, growling. She's calling to it, he thought to himself. Good; this will be the perfect time. His sword moved away, slowly, and in one fluid movement was back in its sheath, and his left hand holding her throat to the wall. He signaled to the two trolloc guards at the door through the Link, and they opened it.
The Darkhound burst in to the room, growling, hissing, its poisionous saliva flinging about. Its massive body was almost to big for the door, but it left gouges in the doorframe in its haste to come to its Kin. Calis whipped Karienthe's body about by the neck, holding her throat securely in his strong fingers, her feet dangling above the ground.
The Darkhound growled at him. He had to teach them both to obey, not just one. This one knew, partially at least, that she could be killed by him with no second thought. The Darkhound most likely still believed it could kill him without a second thought. And to teach it its place would require its Kin to be in danger of death.
Darkhounds reacted differently at this point. Some attacked despite the threat to to their Kin, some growled and had a stand off, some attacked the Trolloc guards in frustration. One had even murdered its own kin for being so weak to a mere Myrddraal. But Calis was no mere Myrddraal.
No, she silently told Daghain. He'll kill us both. We must be patient.
He must die, Daghain replied, still growling at the myrdraal. He paced restlessly, snarling at guards who dared get too close. He must not be allowed to harm you.
No!
Kharienthe's face showed nothing of this silent power struggle. She continued to meet the eyeless gaze of the myrdraal calmly even while Daghain whined and paced and howled. With a final, vicious snarl that sent poisonous saliva flecks flying at a few guards, Daghain stalked over to where the myrdraal held his mistress and sat down sulkily to wait.
"Are you quite satisfied," Khar whispered, her throat nearly crushed under the myrdraal's cold hand. "Or shall you test us further? We serve and obey, Master, lest we die."
Obedience, yes, she murmured to the hound. And resentment. He will die. But we must wait, Daghain; we must be patient. We must...obey....
Never, Daghain snarled, mentally and aloud. Though the voiced complaint was not in the tongues of men, the sentiment behind it was evident to all. The great shadowy menace at the slender girl's feet was not pleased. I will not obey him, but I will do as you ask, Sar Sara sa a'Cor. I will obey you.
That is enough, Sar Sara sa a'Cor replied, allowing the line between humanity and caninivity blur. Daghain controlled the pack, and she controlled him. Another of her peculiar smiles lighted on her lips as she waited for the myrdraal to reply.